A North Carolina couple was found dead in their Wilmington home in what authorities suspect was a murder-suicide, occurring just days after their 40th wedding anniversary. Tracey Parker Willetts is believed to have fatally shot her husband, retired U.S. Army veteran Stephen Larnell Willetts, before taking her own life.
Authorities were alerted to the situation when a smartwatch worn by one of the individuals detected a fall and automatically called 911, according to police. An investigation into the deaths is ongoing.
The couple had previously endured the profound loss of their two sons, Zack and Colby, within a year of each other between 2013 and 2014. Friends and neighbors described the Willettses as devastated by these earlier tragedies.
Their older son, Zachary Willetts, served in the Army National Guard and was deployed to Afghanistan. He died in February 2013 at the age of 23. His cause of death was not immediately clear. Colby Willetts died in March 2014 at 21, following a long battle with muscular dystrophy. His obituary noted that his parents were with him during his final moments.
Tracey Willetts often shared photos of her children on social media. Her second cousin, Fuller Royal, expressed his grief on Facebook, stating, "I pray they are reunited with their boys and that everyone is whole, safe, and at peace."